Joanna Leśnierowska

she/her

free lance choreography curator / visual dramaturge / light & space composer / performance maker /

Graduating from theatre science at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, she used to write as a first regular professional dance writer for “Didaskalia” magazine. She has published on Polish dance in “Theater der Zeit” (Berlin), “Dance Today” (Israel), and “Dance Zone” (Prague) and lectured on choreography history and theory in universities of Poznań and Cracow. In 2004 she has created first in Poland regular dance space/choreographic development center within Art Stations Foundation in Poznań (Old Brewery New Dance) where she’s introduced regualrky avant garde choreography to local audience and  intensively supported (with production and educational programs) development of Polish dance artists.

In years 2019 -2023 Joanna run performance program ACZIUN at Muzeum Susch, in Engadin (CH). It was research and choreographic reflection program offering artists residencies and presenting outcomes of their processes as works in progress, lectures and performances. 

From 2022 Joanna works as free-lance curator under the label LESNIEROWSKA SFX and collaborates with several international art institutions and projects.

It is since 2003 when, parallel to her work as curator and writer, Joanna has developed an independent practice as visual dramaturge, choreographer and light designer for her own works and works of other Polish and international artists.

In 2003-2009 she co-created Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne/Gymnastic Society (performance collective and association) within which she conceived and performed 3 full evening works: “whatever you wish” (2003) “Foreignlanguages-ness” (2005) and “NOTHING” (2007), touring them then in Poland and Europe. As an artistic partner she co-operates with several Polish and international choreographers such as: Arkadi Zaides/IL (“quiet”, “Landscape Research”), Lia Haraki/CY (“again”), Márta Ladjánszki/HU (“Josha”, solo for Leśnierowska), Jurij Konjar/SLO (“For Juliano MerKhamis”), Janusz Orlik/PL (“Live on stage”, “Rite of Spring”, “Insight”), Renata Piotrowska/PL (“Unknown.seans”), Maria Stokłosa/PL (“right hemisphere”).

In 2011 Joanna did her official debut as a full term author with her “Reconstruction”. In 2013 she co-created a solo INSIGHT with and for Janusz Orlik. That work has been granted Best Choreography Award of Polish Dance Platform 2014 in Lublin and toured extensively in Europe, Brasil, Palestine, Israel a.o. In January 2014 Joanna premiered her trio “…(rooms by the sea). From the series Exercises in Looking” inspired by everything that hopperesque in contemporary culture. In 2016 she conceived an exchange project between Polish and Salvador (Brasil) dance communities bringing together dancers/choreographers into creative dialogue fueled by the traditional culture/dances of both countries and premiering at International Dance Festival VIVADANÇA in Salvador. The project has found its continuation in 2018 in Caucasus and finalized in the creation of “Wielogłos” (POLYPHONIES) – a choreography in dialogue of Armenian, Brazilian, Georgian and Polish artists. In 2017, the solo “blur” has been created – an evening-length work revolving around issues of instability, overdose of data and constant loss of clear points of reference. experienced widely in today’s world in micro and macro-scale. In 2019 KODA. A TRIBUTE has been premiered, conceived again in dialogue with Janusz Orlik, a show that marked the 15 years of artists collaboration of both artists. The pandemic of 2020 has influenced works on “Joanna  and the Heroes” project that still continues to evolve and slips its final form. In 2022 Joanna has been also invited to create choreography for Cracow Choreographic Center (the work will find its final in summer 2024).

In her artistic practice Joanna brings together her interest in choreography and visual arts and explores the intersections of both. She is also  experimenting with possibilities of  transmitting and translating creative strategies and tools of new painting and (post)photography in the performance.